MSI will be the latest manufacturer to enter the handheld PC gaming space in direct competition with Valve’s hugely popular Steam Deck, according to leaks compiled by VideoCardz.
The new handheld, reportedly named the MSI CLAW, has leaked ahead of an assumed announcement at CES, which begins next week on Jan. 9. The leaks include images of the final product as well as some of the handheld’s specs.
According to the leaks, the handheld will be powered by an Intel Meteor Lake Processor and have up to 32 GB of memory, which is more than what is currently offered by Steam Deck, ASUS ROG Ally, and Lenovo Legion Go—the three major handheld PCs on the market right now.
VideoCardz suggests the leaks came from MSI China marketing materials, so it may have been an accidental release from the company itself and not from a nefarious outside source like a hack or some kind of data mine.
MSI Gaming originally teased the handheld in a short video on Twitter/X on Jan. 4, and the leaked images of the handheld PC match up with the little bit that was shown, including black and red vents, the MSI Gaming logo, and the words “True Gaming” emblazoned on the body.
Valve’s Steam Deck has been challenged by several other PC peripheral companies over the past few years, including ASUS and Lenovo as mentioned above. With MSI joining the fray, the battle will likely continue as PC gamers look to expand their gaming capabilities as technology advances.
It remains to be seen where the CLAW will land when it comes to performance among the handheld PC market, and more information such as release date, price, operating system, and much more will likely be revealed when MSI heads to CES next week.
